June 2013 Bucket List Item

[duncanmacster]

Hi Everyone.

I live in Melbourne Australia and it has always been an ambition of mine to ride across the USA on a motorbike. I was inspired by the movie 'The Bucket List' to add this dream to my own list.

Last week I resolved that it would happen and, to do the right thing, I asked my wife if she would like to come along for the ride. After a few seconds - and a little to my surprise - she agreed. She has subsequently confirmed this, saying she is quite excited about the adventure.

Because of personal commitments 2012 is not possible, so 2013 has been agreed upon. This is probably best as there is much to be planned, not least the route. The good lady has staked her claims for Phoenix Az and Madison Wi. I am insisting upon Southern Va/Northern NC, Tulsa Ok and Portland Or. And all those interesting places in between. It may be that I send my dearest back after a month and do the balance by myself. We shall see!

My thoughts at present are to buy a bike, BMW K1200LT or perhaps a Honda of some type, and sell it at the end of the trip. This will be most likely if I do the two month trip. When with my wife, Days Inn (does it still exist?) will be the go for sleeping: hot shower and a place to plug in the hairdryer every morning! If I travel by myself at any time, I am prepared to rough it more.

Suffice it to say that this will be a wonderful trip and I am so excited about it. Americans are so friendly and hospitable and the scenery is wonderful and majestic.
 " America! America!
   God shed His grace on thee,
   And crown thy good with brotherhood
   From sea to shining sea."

Looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.

Duncan
2005 BMW R1200RT

[nomad]

Welcome to the group, Duncan!
It is fantastic that your wife will come along.  Riding across the USA is always a dream for most motorcyclists.  This country is so large, and soooOOO beautiful that you can spend the whole life to explore and enjoy many things.
Days-inn is always a good way to go, even though, i have been camping (pop-up tent trailer) for awhile to save some bucks.
As long as you have time, and money, then anything else will be "easy".
Keep us post your preparation, and progress.  Planning ahead is always a better way. 
Good luck!
Nick

[Steppenwolf]

Welcome Duncan. The Bucket List...Ya know I agree with ya on that...really got me a thinking about the things I wanna do and a trip across America by motorcycle should be on every rides list.I have four trips and everyone has been different.
I motel rides now ,lazy I guess but so far as Days Inn goes..they used be be cheap but...
 http://www.daysinn.com/DaysInn/control/home
 
But there are Motel 6
http://www.motel6.com/?WT.srch=1&utm_campaign=B-National-Exact&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=Google&utm_content=Srch&utm_term=.motel%206&gclid=CNCP7YffmKkCFUMUKgodRUbMvg

[duncanmacster]

Thanks for the welcome.

Renting a bike seems to be the easiest way to go, but as my trip might take two months, what do folk think of me buying a used bike (thinking of BMW K1200LT) and selling it at the end of the trip? It is entirely possible that this will be a round trip, so I would sell in the same vicinity I buy.

Thanks

[schimpf]

Hi Duncan
 
I just completed a 3 month trip across the States and would certainly recommend it.  I bought a bike (Honda Goldwing) in Calif. and am now shipping it back to NZ.  One idea on places to stay is check out the Motorcycle Travel Network.  I stayed with members of the network about 30+ nights on my trip and I couldn't fault a single one of them.  Come back to me if you have any specific questions.  Through the site or directly on schimpf@quik.co.nz
 
Rick Schimpf

[duncanmacster]

Hi Rick, thanks for your comment.

Asa kiwi and therefore presumably a non-resident, what requirements were there, if any, for you to buy your Goldwing?

Cheers

Duncan

[Steppenwolf]

Duncan..
 
 Don't know if you saw this post.Hope he has some pictures to share
 
http://www.ridingacrossusa.com/forum/index.php?topic=1200.msg5656#msg5656

[schimpf]

Yes, I am a non-resident, but still an American citizen as I was born there and have lived in NZ for the last 35 years.
 
However, I do not believe there are any restrictions on non-residents/citizens purchasing a motorcycle in the States.  I used the seller's address for registration purposes and that was all that was needed.
 
What I did find was that motorcycle insurance for a non-resident was more difficult to get and much more expensive.  Even though I didn't have a US driver's licence, I could still get insurance as an American citizen.  For 3 months non-resident insurance was up to $750 whereas, resident insurance more like $250.
 
I bought my bike on e-bay sight unseen.  While it wasn't all it was supposed to be, it still gave me 3 months of great riding without major problems.  Likely I can sell it here matching my all-up costs for purchase, shipping and importation.
 
Hope that helps.
 
Rick Schimpf

[duncanmacster]

Hi Rick

Apologies for the slow reply. Rugby World Cup and a few other things distracted me :-)

Thanks for the feedback. I had not really thought about the idea of shipping the bike back to Australia, but if I get something good it is an option.

I will make enquiries about insurance, something that should be right on the top of the list!

Regards

Duncan

[Dr_Teeth]

Sounds like an excellent trip Duncan, also great to see a fellow Aussie on here.  I'm in Canberra & some friends & I are planning a coast-to-coast USA ride around July 2013.  We'll be in New York City for 4th of july then heading through Pennsylvania, DC, Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada to end up in Los Angeles.  Might see you on the road somewhere.

[duncanmacster]

Hi Doc, Our intended route will match yours in the first part ie NY to Virginia, assuming we start on the west coast. That is not yet resolved, much depending on a friend in Toronto who is thinking of coming along. If he bails, we will probably kick off in LA.

However, I would certainly be interested in comparing notes with you. Will you take your own bikes, or rent or buy? How long do you propose to take to complete the trip. At present we are hoping four weeks will be sufficient.

I was also thinking of doing June rather than July/August, in order to avoid 'driving season'. Apart from more traffic on the roads, petrol and accommodation prices jump in response to anticipated demand.

One of the reasons I joined this forum is to gather as much info as possible to help me decide!

Cheers

[Dr_Teeth]

I agree that joining this forum is a great resource for planning the trip, that's why I joined.  I also joined motorcycleforum.com & motorcycle-usa.com for the same reason.
  We're fairly committed to july as we're making a travel documentary on the way & want to do 4th of july in NY.  We'll be approaching some manufacturers about maybe sponsoring us but we'll probably end up buying bikes as the rental options I've found so far are fairly limited. 
  'Driving season' is a consideration but we should be ok taking back roads rather than the interstate mostly, probably camping out a lot too cut down on costs.  Should take about 5-6 weeks as we'll be stopping a lot to film stuff.  If you guys end up starting from LA we'll probably meet somewhere around Virginia. 
  Might be worth your while to check out www.usmotorcyclesales.com they have a fly & ride deal if you end up buying your bike that includes shipping it home.

Aussie aussie aussie

[duncanmacster]

Thanks for that website. Most interesting and I will explore it more for sure!

[duncanmacster]

US Motorcycle Sales quote $20/day admin fee PLUS $35/day for full comprehensive insurance - a quote offered without knowing what sort of bike it is and whether new or used. Any way, it seems rather dear and I might look for alternatives.

I am intending to by a used BMW1600GTL and the trip should take about eight weeks. Could anyone please suggest a reputable insurance company who will take on the risk?

Many thanks.

[Steppenwolf]

I use Progressive and only have liability.I just paid my bill for $75 for the whole year but my bike being an'80 it is not worth insuring.